Can drinking coffee actually stunt the growth of children or teenagers? How does coffee or other caffeine consumption affect height? Discover the role of slow-wave sleep, growth hormone release, and the surprising truth and misconceptions surrounding this idea.
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Not Just Coffee – The Stimulating Characteristics of Caffeine
First, it is important to not only blame coffee in the possible impacts on growth in children and adolescents. In the past, there was a concern that coffee could affect calcium absorption and bone growth and remodeling in children.Whether or not caffeine intake reduces calcium absorption is inconclusive.Caffeinemay have other effects, however.
Caffeine is a stimulant. It is found in soda pop, coffee, tea, energy drinks, and chocolate in varying amounts. When consumed, it has a half-life for 3-7 hours. This may vary somewhat based on an individual’s metabolism and tolerance. It may cause increased alertness,insomnia, anxiety, jitteriness, and heart palpitations. Caffeine may be dangerous at high levels in some children due to its cardiac effects.How might caffeine affect both sleep and growth?
Sleep Impacts May Affect Growth Hormone Release
Consumption of caffeine early in the day, such as at breakfast, likely has little to no effect on sleep in children or adults. However,later consumption(especially in the hours preceding bedtime) may start to impact sleep. It may cause trouble falling asleep, leading to insomnia, or delay the desired bedtime. This may reduce the amount of time in bed, restrict the total sleep time, and lead tosleep deprivation.Important consequences may occur in children when they don’t meet their sleep needs.
Slow-wave sleep predominately occurs in the first one-third of the night. This is whengrowth hormonerelease and this hormone is critical to height development. Sleep deprivation, or fragmented sleep from conditions likesleep apneaorrestless legs syndrome, may undermine this important sleep. With reduced slow-wave sleep, less growth hormone may be released and children’s growth may be affected.
Diminishing Impact as Growth Spurt Ends
It is important to remember that caffeine, including coffee, has short-lived effects. If consumed earlier in the day, with adequate sleep obtained at night to meet sleep needs, there is likely little reason to be concerned.In adults, once the growth spurt of puberty has ended, the impacts on growth are irrelevant.
It may be prudent to encourage consumption of caffeine in moderation among children and teenagers. As these fluids often replace milk and may reduce the intake of vital nutrients, it might be best to reserve the consumption as a special treat rather than a daily indulgence.
There may be a possibility that excessive, late consumption of caffeine could impact both sleep and growth. If you are concerned about poor quality or inadequate sleep, explore these issues with your child’s pediatrician or a sleep specialist.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThere’s some research showing that caffeine can help relieve ADHD symptoms. The benefits are not equal to those seen with medication, and some of the research is controversial or limited to animal studies.Much of the benefit remains anecdotal with people saying they have seen improvements in symptoms but without data to prove that coffee or caffeine helps.Learn MoreOverview of ADHDThe American Academy of Pediatrics cautions against children consuming energy drinks. The beverages contain high amounts of sugar and calories that can harm teeth and contribute to obesity. The AAP also warned that some individual cans or bottles of energy drinks exceed 500 mg of caffeine, which is enough to result in caffeine toxicity.Learn MoreEnergy Drinks and HealthThe United States doesn’t have specific guidelines, but according to Canadian recommendations, children under 13 should have no more than 85 mg of caffeine per day.For those over 13, recommendations are based on body weight: 115 mg for those 110 to 120 pounds, 140 mg for those 121 to 150 pounds, etc. There is about 95 mg in a cup of coffee and about 32 mg in a can of cola.Learn MoreWhat Is Caffeine?
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s some research showing that caffeine can help relieve ADHD symptoms. The benefits are not equal to those seen with medication, and some of the research is controversial or limited to animal studies.Much of the benefit remains anecdotal with people saying they have seen improvements in symptoms but without data to prove that coffee or caffeine helps.Learn MoreOverview of ADHD
There’s some research showing that caffeine can help relieve ADHD symptoms. The benefits are not equal to those seen with medication, and some of the research is controversial or limited to animal studies.Much of the benefit remains anecdotal with people saying they have seen improvements in symptoms but without data to prove that coffee or caffeine helps.
Learn MoreOverview of ADHD
The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions against children consuming energy drinks. The beverages contain high amounts of sugar and calories that can harm teeth and contribute to obesity. The AAP also warned that some individual cans or bottles of energy drinks exceed 500 mg of caffeine, which is enough to result in caffeine toxicity.Learn MoreEnergy Drinks and Health
The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions against children consuming energy drinks. The beverages contain high amounts of sugar and calories that can harm teeth and contribute to obesity. The AAP also warned that some individual cans or bottles of energy drinks exceed 500 mg of caffeine, which is enough to result in caffeine toxicity.
Learn MoreEnergy Drinks and Health
The United States doesn’t have specific guidelines, but according to Canadian recommendations, children under 13 should have no more than 85 mg of caffeine per day.For those over 13, recommendations are based on body weight: 115 mg for those 110 to 120 pounds, 140 mg for those 121 to 150 pounds, etc. There is about 95 mg in a cup of coffee and about 32 mg in a can of cola.Learn MoreWhat Is Caffeine?
The United States doesn’t have specific guidelines, but according to Canadian recommendations, children under 13 should have no more than 85 mg of caffeine per day.For those over 13, recommendations are based on body weight: 115 mg for those 110 to 120 pounds, 140 mg for those 121 to 150 pounds, etc. There is about 95 mg in a cup of coffee and about 32 mg in a can of cola.
Learn MoreWhat Is Caffeine?
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Heaney R.Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy.Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002 Sep;40(9):1263-1270. doi:10.1016/s0278-6915(02)00094-7dePaula J, Farah A.Caffeine consumption through coffee: content in the beverage, metabolism, health benefits and risks.Beverages. 2019 Jun;5(2):37. doi:10.3390/beverages5020037Temple J, Bernard C, Lipshultz S, Czachor J, Westphal J, Mestre M.The safety of ingested caffeine: a comprehensive review.Front Psychiatry. 2017 May;8(1):80. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2013 Nov;09(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170El Halal C dos S, Nunes M.Sleep and weight-height development.Jornal de Pediatria. 2019 Apr;95(1):2-9. doi:10.1016/j.jped.2018.10.009Seifert S, Schaechter J, Hershorin E, Lipshultz S.Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults.Pediatrics. 2011 May;127(3):511-528. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3592Watson E, Banks S, Coates A, Kohler M.The relationship between caffeine, sleep, and behavior in children.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2017 Apr;13(04):533-543. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6536Vázquez JC, Martin de la Torre O, López Palomé J, Redolar-Ripoll D.Effects of caffeine consumption on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Adhd) treatment: a systematic review of animal studies.Nutrients. 2022;14(4):739. doi:10.3390%2Fnu14040739Schneider MB, Benjamin HJ,Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate?Pediatrics. 2011;127(6):1182-1189. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0965Government of Canada.Health Canada is advising Canadians about safe levels of caffeine consumption.Additional ReadingHigdon JV, Frei B. “Coffee and Health: A Review of Recent Human Research.”Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(2):101-23.Kryger, MHet al. “Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine.“ExpertConsult, 5th edition, 2011.Striegel-Moore RH, Thompson D, Affenito SG, Franko DL, Obarzanek E, Barton BA, Schreiber GB, Daniels SR, Schmidt M, Crawford PB. “Correlates of Beverage Intake in AdolescentGirls:TheNational Health, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study.”J Pediatr2006 Feb;148(2):183-7.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Heaney R.Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy.Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002 Sep;40(9):1263-1270. doi:10.1016/s0278-6915(02)00094-7dePaula J, Farah A.Caffeine consumption through coffee: content in the beverage, metabolism, health benefits and risks.Beverages. 2019 Jun;5(2):37. doi:10.3390/beverages5020037Temple J, Bernard C, Lipshultz S, Czachor J, Westphal J, Mestre M.The safety of ingested caffeine: a comprehensive review.Front Psychiatry. 2017 May;8(1):80. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2013 Nov;09(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170El Halal C dos S, Nunes M.Sleep and weight-height development.Jornal de Pediatria. 2019 Apr;95(1):2-9. doi:10.1016/j.jped.2018.10.009Seifert S, Schaechter J, Hershorin E, Lipshultz S.Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults.Pediatrics. 2011 May;127(3):511-528. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3592Watson E, Banks S, Coates A, Kohler M.The relationship between caffeine, sleep, and behavior in children.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2017 Apr;13(04):533-543. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6536Vázquez JC, Martin de la Torre O, López Palomé J, Redolar-Ripoll D.Effects of caffeine consumption on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Adhd) treatment: a systematic review of animal studies.Nutrients. 2022;14(4):739. doi:10.3390%2Fnu14040739Schneider MB, Benjamin HJ,Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate?Pediatrics. 2011;127(6):1182-1189. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0965Government of Canada.Health Canada is advising Canadians about safe levels of caffeine consumption.Additional ReadingHigdon JV, Frei B. “Coffee and Health: A Review of Recent Human Research.”Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(2):101-23.Kryger, MHet al. “Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine.“ExpertConsult, 5th edition, 2011.Striegel-Moore RH, Thompson D, Affenito SG, Franko DL, Obarzanek E, Barton BA, Schreiber GB, Daniels SR, Schmidt M, Crawford PB. “Correlates of Beverage Intake in AdolescentGirls:TheNational Health, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study.”J Pediatr2006 Feb;148(2):183-7.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Heaney R.Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy.Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002 Sep;40(9):1263-1270. doi:10.1016/s0278-6915(02)00094-7dePaula J, Farah A.Caffeine consumption through coffee: content in the beverage, metabolism, health benefits and risks.Beverages. 2019 Jun;5(2):37. doi:10.3390/beverages5020037Temple J, Bernard C, Lipshultz S, Czachor J, Westphal J, Mestre M.The safety of ingested caffeine: a comprehensive review.Front Psychiatry. 2017 May;8(1):80. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2013 Nov;09(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170El Halal C dos S, Nunes M.Sleep and weight-height development.Jornal de Pediatria. 2019 Apr;95(1):2-9. doi:10.1016/j.jped.2018.10.009Seifert S, Schaechter J, Hershorin E, Lipshultz S.Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults.Pediatrics. 2011 May;127(3):511-528. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3592Watson E, Banks S, Coates A, Kohler M.The relationship between caffeine, sleep, and behavior in children.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2017 Apr;13(04):533-543. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6536Vázquez JC, Martin de la Torre O, López Palomé J, Redolar-Ripoll D.Effects of caffeine consumption on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Adhd) treatment: a systematic review of animal studies.Nutrients. 2022;14(4):739. doi:10.3390%2Fnu14040739Schneider MB, Benjamin HJ,Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate?Pediatrics. 2011;127(6):1182-1189. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0965Government of Canada.Health Canada is advising Canadians about safe levels of caffeine consumption.
Heaney R.Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy.Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002 Sep;40(9):1263-1270. doi:10.1016/s0278-6915(02)00094-7
dePaula J, Farah A.Caffeine consumption through coffee: content in the beverage, metabolism, health benefits and risks.Beverages. 2019 Jun;5(2):37. doi:10.3390/beverages5020037
Temple J, Bernard C, Lipshultz S, Czachor J, Westphal J, Mestre M.The safety of ingested caffeine: a comprehensive review.Front Psychiatry. 2017 May;8(1):80. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080
Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2013 Nov;09(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170
El Halal C dos S, Nunes M.Sleep and weight-height development.Jornal de Pediatria. 2019 Apr;95(1):2-9. doi:10.1016/j.jped.2018.10.009
Seifert S, Schaechter J, Hershorin E, Lipshultz S.Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults.Pediatrics. 2011 May;127(3):511-528. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3592
Watson E, Banks S, Coates A, Kohler M.The relationship between caffeine, sleep, and behavior in children.Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2017 Apr;13(04):533-543. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6536
Vázquez JC, Martin de la Torre O, López Palomé J, Redolar-Ripoll D.Effects of caffeine consumption on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Adhd) treatment: a systematic review of animal studies.Nutrients. 2022;14(4):739. doi:10.3390%2Fnu14040739
Schneider MB, Benjamin HJ,Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate?Pediatrics. 2011;127(6):1182-1189. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0965
Government of Canada.Health Canada is advising Canadians about safe levels of caffeine consumption.
Higdon JV, Frei B. “Coffee and Health: A Review of Recent Human Research.”Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(2):101-23.Kryger, MHet al. “Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine.“ExpertConsult, 5th edition, 2011.Striegel-Moore RH, Thompson D, Affenito SG, Franko DL, Obarzanek E, Barton BA, Schreiber GB, Daniels SR, Schmidt M, Crawford PB. “Correlates of Beverage Intake in AdolescentGirls:TheNational Health, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study.”J Pediatr2006 Feb;148(2):183-7.
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